Fewture Ex Gokin Energer 1969

Right after I received my Fewture Ex Gokin Shin Getter 1, I was so impressed by the quality and presence of the toy I immediately set out and pre-ordered the next release in the Fewture Ex Gokin toy line – Energer 1969.

Background:

Energer was the original concept robot for Mazinger Z. Inspired by a traffic jam, Go Nagai came up with the idea of a giant robot controlled by a motorcycle docked inside its head. The idea of the motorcycle would later evolve to a hovercraft type vehicle, and the robot renamed Mazinger Z to evoke the image of a demon god.

Packaging:

The box for the Energer 1969 is not quite as large as the Shin Getter 1 box, but it is still quite sizable. It comes with an outer delivery box which protects the inner box perfectly with the help of some corner styrene padding. The main box is wrapped in plastic which I assume is to protect against dust and moisture during transportation or storage. The box material is very thick and wrapped in high quality gloss paper, and it even has a sleeve. The toy itself is very well protected, everything is wrapped in bags and the moving parts of the toy (neck and thighs) have been wrapped padding material to prevent scratches.

Accessories:

Energer comes with a very limited number of accessories. There is of course the Pilder Machine with Koji Kabuto (I think) at the controls, a set of plastic clear breast plates, a pair of open palm hands, a pair of weapon wielding hands designed to be used with Mazinger’s sword (not the one in the photo) and a display stand which I couldn’t be bothered getting out. I was surprised to find that the red set of breast plates were also made from plastic even though Art Storm’s website states that it is Die-cast?

Form/Sculpt:

What more can I say except “wow”. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of admiring this beautiful toy. It does share a lot of the same parts as the Mazinger variant which is not a bad thing, but it does get a new head sculpt, different breast plates and of course the ramp on the back. This is a very hefty and solid piece, with the majority of the body work being die-cast. Although I’m not fortunate enough to also own the Mazinger toy, if you take the ramp off Energer’s back it looks like it may also be able fit the Jet Scrambler.

Articulation/Action:

Energer features nice rachet joints which feel very solid but are somewhat limited in their range of movement. The only joints which do not get the ratchet treatment are the waist, neck, wrist and shoulder roll joints. I also feel that the ankle could make use with a tilting joint but it’s not too bad as is. I couldn’t manage a lot of dynamic poses with this toy but with something like this you really don’t need to as it looks best on display in the neutral pose.

Paint/Print:

At a glance, the paint scheme looks very simple but once you delve into it there are actually a lot of nice little areas with delicate paint app. The face looks absolutely stunning up close, I love the red highlights on the forehead and around the eyes. The breast plates have panel lining applied to the front as well as a detailed inking applied to the back. The gold highlights throughout the figure are very tidy and really brings out the sculptural detail of the toy. As far as mechanical detail goes, there is a pair of pistons on the upper chest which looks wonderful. The Pilder Machine is considerably well painted for something so small although there is no detail on the rider’s face.

Detail/Features:

The bike ramp on the Energer is made from two sections and can be lifted up to allow the Pilder to ride up its back.

Just like its Mazinger and Great Mazinger counterpart, Energer’s mouth can be opened to recreate the “Howling Canon”.

Also just like its Mazinger and Great Mazinger counterpart, the magnets in the forearms are also prone to falling off but a bit of super glue will fix that quick smart. Just make sure you put the magnets in the right way!

Just for laughs, let’s pit this guy up against the Mazinger AD-1901 toy (cos I’m too poor to afford the Mazinger 1969 toy XD). As you can see, the design has come a long way but I love them both!

Overall:

With the price of both Mazinger 1969 and Great Mazinger 1969 going through the roof, this guy is a really nice substitute if you want a piece of Dr Robo’s brilliance on your shelf. I also think there is a bit more of a significant meaning behind this toy, being the concept design that started it all. However you’ve gotta be quick, I don’t think it will be long until the price of this guy soars, but don’t quote me on that.

Hi Chris, glad you liked the review:) I do love this toy, so well built and feels completely solid in the hands. I do know which Mazinger you are talking about, my jaw dropped when I first heard news about it…unfortunately it is out of budget at the moment which means I’ll probably have to read more about it on other toy review blogs:P